RESTRUCTURING OF DCI/MAG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A001200040010-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 25, 2004
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: November 10, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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10 November 1977
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA: Mr. Ben Evans
Advisor DCI/MAG
FROM: DCI/MAG
SUBJECT: Restructuring. of Dcr/MAG
1. Action_ Requested: Your review of the suggestions presented by-
MAG for revising its- charter an-d- -approval of the- recommendation- contained
in. paragraph. 3 .
2. Background: The DCI/MAG as presently constituted provides for
rotating terms for MAG members. Every 3 months one quarter of-the- MAG
membership is'charrged This overlap has provided some sense of continuity
but on balance it has led to difficulty in establishing group cohesion and group
identity. The MAG, as currently structured, rotates the-chairmanship on a
monthly basis. Such a procedure permits most of the MAG members to serve
as chairman during the course of their tenure on the Group but this arrange-
ment has impeded the development of a coherent and comprehensive MAG
program.
In order to maintain the advantages now enjoyed and to eliminate certain
of the difficulties now encountered, MAG has di-,cussed the possibillLy of an
alternative structure. It is suggested that MAG members serve a concurrent
rather than an overlapping: term. Such a change would have the following
impacts: MAG members would get to know one another better, group dynamics
would improve, a sense of group responsibility would be promoted and a coherent
annual program would be more easily developed. In addition to these advantages
which inure to the Group and to the individual MAG members, such an arrange-
ment would increase the visibility of MAG, with the result that Agency personnel
would become more familiar with their MAG representatives and more likely to
contact them about problems.
Instead of a monthly rotation of the chairmanship, it is contemplated that
a chairman would serve a.three-month term.
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In- order to. preserve continuity between- successive MAGs., we envision a
25X1 meeting-at at the beginning of the- MAG term, attended
-by the outgoing:-.and incoming_MAGs. During the weekend the outgoing MAG
would deliver a series of formal and informal presentations detailing MAG
history and the activities of the preceeding year. Accumulated materials deal-
ing with MAG resources, procedures, capabilities and authorities would be
made available to the new MAG members. At the end of the weekend the out-
going MAG would depart and an additional 2 or 3 days might be spent by the
incoming MAG during which time the new members could become familiar
with one another, tentative plans could be made for an agenda for the coming
year, a chairman would be selected and a subcommittee structure could be
developed to staff out the agenda, items.
l
It is-believed that-NAG, should serve- as. a sounding..boar_d.for management and comment,. either on. its. own initiative or at management request, on key
issues.. which. are nearly ripe for decision. MAG should also serve as a lu
mechanism by which ideas, concerns, and recommendations of working level
A, personnel are explored, staffed out, and presented to top management. It is
essential, it MAU is to pertorm these functions, that it should have access to the
ft DCI Morning Minutes l to the EAG minutes and related , and thn f';- i klyj
/b briefing notes given to the DCI. It is understood, however, that before MAG
. began to work on a particular problem of interest to Agency management,
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It is also necessary that each MAG member allocate a fixed amount of time
to MAG duties, for example, a half day every 2 weeks. Additional meetings on
an ad-hoc basis might be required and, of course, MAG members would devote
larger blocks of time as required after hours. Agency managers who nominate
MAG members should be aware of this time requirement and should make certain
that such time is available. In order for MAG to be effective it must have secre-
tarial support. The aperiodic nature of MAG business does not require a full-
time dedicated secretary but the MAG should have the ability to call upon a
floater or member of the secretarial pool on an ad-hoc basis.
The possibility that the normal MAG term should be longer than one year
was considered but the sense of the Group was that one year would be a sufficient
period of membership if MAG members served concurrent terms. However, in
the absence of concurrent terms it was felt that a year was not sufficient to gain
necessary familiarity with MAG issues and to attempt to resolve these issues.
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In order to effect the change from overlapping to concurrent terms, it
is proposed that members currently serving on MAG have their terms extended
to October 1978. Thus, the current MAG membership would serve as the first
MAG sitting as a corporate body for a one-year term. Current MAG members
would be offered a choice of extending their term or leaving the Group. A few,
whose assignments or inclinations would not permit continued service or whose
career designations have changed would probably request replacement.
3. Recommendations: It is requested that the MAG charter be changed
to provide:
A. a concurrent one-year term for MAG members,
implemented by extending the term of current
MAG members until: October 1978:
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APPROVED: DATE:
B. that. the MA G rha>irman chic, by otated every 3 months;
APPROVED:
DISAPPROVED:
J
DATE: 15 DEC 1977
SECRET
15 DEC 1977
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APPROVED:
SECRET
DATE: DEC 1977
DATE :
for DCI/MAG
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